


Curiosity is a gift

by Kucherovsbitch



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Bi-Curiosity, Curiosity, Drunken Flirting, Drunken Kissing, M/M, Realisations, Singing, Tampa Bay Lightning, alcohol consumption, kuch is an idiot, soft, victor said bye bye
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-17 13:47:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28600932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kucherovsbitch/pseuds/Kucherovsbitch
Summary: They were drunk. Isn’t that how all great straight-but-curious tales begin? In the future, Nikita would say that was the only reason it even happened. Steven would tell you something else, that there had always been ‘something there.’
Relationships: Nikita Kucherov/Steven Stamkos
Kudos: 12
Collections: Kuch and Stammer





	Curiosity is a gift

It was maybe an hour after finishing up at the rink having played the Habs. Nikita, Victor, and Steven went out to some bar to have a few drinks before heading to their hotel rooms. For whatever reason, Nikita’s few drinks’ turned into too many drinks and some fun. Steven, the child that he can be at times, turned his buddy’s heavy drinking into a competition and in no time, the two were unbalanced and buzzed.

“Nice job, idiots,” Victor thew out. “Now you get to sit around until you sober up.” The two of them just smiled loose, drunk smiles and hummed.  
“Well, I’ll see you both tomorrow bright 'n’ early. Don’t drink anymore, all right? You both have to get back to the hotel and sleep before we head out tomorrow.”  
“All right, ya baby. Go back to the hotel already would you.” Nikita huffed out a laugh at how unfunny he was. Victor rolled his eyes, raised a hand to say goodbye, and left.

Nikita and Steven sat at the bar in silence for a few moments before Steven stood up from his stool. He headed towards the door and turned to Nikita as an afterthought.

“I’m… gonna try to sober up in the cold, come with me.”  
Out in the biting Canadian cold, Nikita was more alert, but still felt a jumpy excitement and the perpetual pull of gravity trying to haul his body towards the ground. He looked to his left to watch Steven with his hands in his pockets, kicking at imaginary rocks on the pavement. Nikita noticed - surprisingly - that he could see his own and Steven’s breath in the glow of the bar’s window.  
“Winter is heere, agaiiin, oh Lord. Haven’t been hooome in a year orrr sooo; I hope she ho-olds onn a little longerrr.”

Alcohol always loosened the vocal cords for Nikita. Whenever he started feeling the liquor in his veins, he’d just sing whatever came to him. Steven always liked it, especially when his Russian accent would come out so strong and unrestrained. Hearing him sing “Wheel in the Sky” made him smile… well, smirk. Because their relationship was built on relentless teasing, after all.  
“I bet everyone would love to hear you when you sing, hm? A one on one show.” Steven didn’t know why he said that. It didn’t really matter. Out of the three amigos, he was the one known for being off-the-rails when alcohol was involved. He could hardly be held accountable for the random thoughts that came out of his mouth.

Nikita just smirked right back and grunted. After a beat he laughed at the ground.  
“I bet people love it when you get so drunk you start shaking your ass and singing.”  
Steven’s face got warmer, despite the effects of his drinks wearing off.  
“Ya get drunk ONE TIME and start singing and it’s allll over.”

Nikita moved away from the wall the two had been leaning against to stand in front of Steven. The captains eyes were bright and excited - either from the drinks or getting defensive about the drunken singing. Probably both. Nikita couldn’t pass up an opportunity to mess with him.

“Hey Steve - o captain, my captain? Why don’t you try singin’ some songs?” At this point, Nikita grabbed Steven by the shoulders and .. “We gotta ho-old on to what we’ve got. It doesn’t make a difference if we make it or not. We got eaaach other, and that’s uhh lot for lo-ove. WE’LL GIVE IT A SHOT.”

Together they belted out the chorus to “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Nikita’s hands stayed on Steven’s shoulders. Meanwhile, Steven grabbed Nikita by the top of his arms.. Because belting out a classic rock ballad requires it, naturally.  
Upon releasing each other after the impromptu karaoke, Steven blabbered on.

“Your voice, Kuch. It’s so hot.” He’d obviously meant it as a joke, but he hadn’t really put enough mocking in it.. So it just seemed kind of like an uncomfortable compliment. Steven knew Nikita felt it too because his face dropped all but a little trace of a smile.

“Yeah?” Nikita drawled. He stepped forward, close enough for Steven to stare at the freckles across his nose and on his cheeks. “You like my singing voice?” Now Nikita grinned wide and cocky. Steven loved to earn those smiles from Nikita; he was good at it.  
“Mmm. And your talking voice.” Again. Steven didn’t know where that statement came from. These were not bro conversations. Eh. Every good friendship has a little gay in it, Steven always thought. Sometime after that golden line had spilled out of his mouth, his eyes began to fall to Nikita’s lips, the lips that Nikita was licking.  
“Mhm?”

Nikita would remember this moment and try to figure it out many times 'cause it’s all on him. He remembered licking his own lips and watching Steven’s eyes follow the action. And he remembered looking at the captains dry but equally full lips in return. The thing is, this was nothing new. The pair had always gotten in each other’s personal space in a seemingly sexual way. The difference this night was that Nikita got this thought that he’d really like to close the distance between their two mouths and find out how Steven would react.. How he could make Steven react. He always wondered if maybe, ever, any guys really caught his eye.. if maybe Nikita ever caught his eye.

And so that and the impaired judgment combined brought him awful close to kissing one of his best friends. And still he doesn’t know how he ended up with his lips on Steven’s. Because all he remembers is staring at those chapped full pink lips and then at those ridiculously blue and ridiculously interested-looking eyes and wanting.

And the next thing he knew, he felt like Steven was all around him. His smell, his warmth, his lips. They were right on him. And another thing that would forever perplex Nikita about this happening: the kiss was brief and not heated. It was really just a kiss. But the Russian, upon pulling away, wanted more. He wanted to feel something. When he opened his eyes, two blues were staring at him in question.

With the night’s theme of stupid decisions, Nikita rolled with it and went for another one. He grabbed Steven’s face gently, his fingertips sliding into the soft, blonde hair, and took Steven’s bottom lip between his own.  
Steven let out a sigh and Nikita felt the captains arms wrap around his back. It seemed Steven liked this stupid decision very much and wanted to be the leader of these decisions. Because he was the one to take the initiative to swipe his tongue along Nikita’s lips. The shock of the feeling made Nikita gasp and Steven wasted no time deepening the kiss. When their tongues met, the feeling was just too good. His heart rate sped up and he felt a spark of pleasure pass through his stomach. Nikita …moaned? He couldn’t have… Steven didn’t mind - he let out his own groan as Nikita tugged his hair to get closer, to get more of Steven. More of his warm skin with his already-stubbly mouth and chin.

Steven loved the feeling of being pushed up against the wall. And when he realized again - as if he could forget - that this hot, solid body was Nikita pinning him against the wall, another moan escaped him. He wanted more. He really wasn’t thinking, he was only feeling. The warm fingers on his scalp, pulling at his hair. The heat and the taste of Nikita in his mouth.

Oh. Nikita’s mouth. He could compose poetry about it. It was deliciously soft and pliant and moist from the constant licking. And so pretty and pink.  
Steven’s hands traveled of their own accord across Nikita’s chest and arms. Then to his sides, and they finally settled on the Russians hips, which he pulled impossibly closer. Steven took a chance and shoved his right thigh between Nikita’s legs and.. Nikita liked that. A needy grumbly sound escaped his throat. He broke the kiss, his forehead falling to Steven’s shoulder. He rolled his head back and forth on Steven’s collarbone like he couldn’t believe… well, he probably couldn’t. His hands had dropped to the lapels of Steven’s jacket and he held on tight. They were both panting. Steven had calmed a little, but it seemed Nikita was trying and failing to pull himself together. He held onto Steven like he didn’t know if he wanted to keep going or end it now.

Still panting, he lifted his head to make eye contact with his friend. Steven saw Nikita’s eyes and they were, well, excited but confused. He looked so needy. Was it wrong that Steven loved seeing him like this? He didn’t know how much he wanted to see that expression on his face until now. But since he had, he was overwhelmed with how much it further turned him on. Because Nikita, cool-headed Nikita was looking like this because of something Steven did. Steven touching him made him look this.. vulnerable and hungry. Like whatever Nikita needed, only Steven could give it to him.

Nikita opened his mouth to speak - and it seemed like this experience was coming to an end - so Steven surged forward to make it last a little longer.  
Judging by Nikita’s reaction, he really hadn’t gotten what he needed just yet.

The kiss became wild. Nikita was gasping and he couldn’t stop the moans that came out of him, like everything he was feeling was so unexpected. He wrapped his body around Steven’s, this time opting to press his own leg between Steven’s. He kissed beside his ear and down his neck. He worshiped the Canadians neck with open-mouth kisses and sucking and licking. Steven couldn’t open his eyes if he tried, he was so far gone. His mouth simply fell open while he raked his fingers through Nikita’s hair. Nikita continued down Steven’s neck to the hollow under his throat.

Steven gasped, which elicited another groan from Nikita. He kissed a trail up Steven’s throat feverishly, like he couldn’t wait to get back to Steven’s lips. He pressed his lips fully to Steven’s once, slowly. His thumbs were absently running along the sides of Steven’s face.  
Steven kissed him back just as reverently. He could feel this was the real end to their… whatever this was. Steven would call it a gift. Something he really wanted but didn’t know he could have and he greatly appreciated every part of it.

They opened their eyes, lips an inch apart now. Their eyes were somehow both sad and extremely happy at the same time. Their lips brushed one last time and Nikita pulled away. He stood beside Steven against the wall and waited for his breathing to return to normal. His head against the brick wall, he turned to Steven with eyes full of questions but also something else. A look very familiar to Steven. The one he gets from his friend when they’ve done something bad but he doesn’t regret it for more than a second.

The two smirked at each other.  
“Well…” Steven tried, but his voice was raspy. “Better.. get going.” But he stayed against the wall.

“Yeah,” Nikita smiled a tiny smile that held a whole lot of contentment. He backed off the wall, but not without sliding his fingers along Nikita’s cheek.

“Bye, Stammer. ’Ll see ya tomorrow.” He walked towards the direction of the hotel and gave him a little wave when he was about to turn the corner.

Steven lingered against the wall for a few more minutes. The alcohol had worn off and everything. But he just wanted to remain in that spot for a time. Wanted to remember the feeling of it all. When he received a hell of a gift from his best friend.

**Author's Note:**

> I’m not entirely sure what this is, but it needed to be done because my brain said so. I hope you all enjoyed it.


End file.
